NFL Game Previews: 49ers-Packers Matchup

NFL Game Previews: 49ers-Packers Matchup

This article is part of our NFL Game Previews series.

San Francisco (+9.5) at Green Bay, 46.5 o/u – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

The Story: So much for a quick turnaround for the franchise under Kyle Shanahan. The Niners are now 1-4, and you can't blame it on Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending injury as C.J. Beathard has been at least adequate in his place. The problem is a defense which can't get off the field, giving up nearly 30 points a game and posting a dreadful 12:1 TD:INT to date, leading to a league-worst minus-8 turnover differential. Even the offense can only do so much when most of its sill players are banged up. The Packers' offense isn't much better, of course, as Aaron Rodgers had to lean heavily on a couple of rookie receivers last week with mixed, but mostly positive, results. Having a reliable running game would help take the pressure off the passing game in the short term, but the team's best runner, Aaron Jones, is also its worst blitz picker-upper, and Green Bay simply can't take too many chances with Rodgers. The QB looked pretty close to 100 percent last week in posting huge numbers against the Lions, in a game the Pack probably should have won if not for an epically terrible performance by Mason Crosby, but one awkward fall on Rodgers' injured knee and the Lambeau faithful can kiss any thought of a playoff run goodbye.

The Skinny:
SF injuries: RB Matt Breida (doubtful, ankle); TE George Kittle (questionable,

San Francisco (+9.5) at Green Bay, 46.5 o/u – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT

The Story: So much for a quick turnaround for the franchise under Kyle Shanahan. The Niners are now 1-4, and you can't blame it on Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending injury as C.J. Beathard has been at least adequate in his place. The problem is a defense which can't get off the field, giving up nearly 30 points a game and posting a dreadful 12:1 TD:INT to date, leading to a league-worst minus-8 turnover differential. Even the offense can only do so much when most of its sill players are banged up. The Packers' offense isn't much better, of course, as Aaron Rodgers had to lean heavily on a couple of rookie receivers last week with mixed, but mostly positive, results. Having a reliable running game would help take the pressure off the passing game in the short term, but the team's best runner, Aaron Jones, is also its worst blitz picker-upper, and Green Bay simply can't take too many chances with Rodgers. The QB looked pretty close to 100 percent last week in posting huge numbers against the Lions, in a game the Pack probably should have won if not for an epically terrible performance by Mason Crosby, but one awkward fall on Rodgers' injured knee and the Lambeau faithful can kiss any thought of a playoff run goodbye.

The Skinny:
SF injuries: RB Matt Breida (doubtful, ankle); TE George Kittle (questionable, knee); WR Pierre Garcon (questionable, shoulder); WR Trent Taylor (questionable, back); LB Reuben Foster (questionable, shoulder); CB Richard Sherman (questionable, calf)
GB injuries: WR Randall Cobb (questionable, hamstring); WR Geronimo Allison (questionable, hamstring)
SF DFS chalk: none
GB DFS chalk: Jimmy Graham (SF 24th in DVOA vs. TE)
SF DFS tournament plays: none
GB DFS tournament plays: Marquez Valdes-Scantling (depends on if Cobb and Allison are active; SF 21st in DVOA vs. WR2)
Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the high 30s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Alfred Morris grinds out 70 yards and a TD. Beathard throws for 270 yards and a touchdown to Marquise Goodwin while also running in a score. Jones leads the Packers backfield with 80 combined yards, but Jamaal Williams chips in 50 yards and a touchdown, and Ty Montgomery also picks up 50 combined yards. Rodgers throws for 260 yards and TDs to Graham and Valdes-Scantling. Packers, 27-21

Tampa Bay (+3.5) at Atlanta, 57.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: The Buccaneers welcome Jameis Winston back under center after the curtain predictably got pulled back on Fitzmagic. Too bad he can't play cornerback, though. Tampa is last in passing yards allowed (370 per game!), yards allowed per attempt, TD passes allowed, fewest INTs ... the Bucs' secondary is more dysfunctional than a Fleetwood Mac reunion tour. The thing is, the Falcons' defense isn't much better. The unit hasn't recovered from the Week 1 losses of Deion Jones and Keanu Neal, and other key players like Grady Jarrett aren't 100 percent either. You can't put it past the fickle NFL gods to have Tampa figure some things out over their bye, and Atlanta finally adjust to their new personnel, and have this one turn into a field-goal battle rather than the all-out aerial assault everyone expects, but given the teams' current trajectories anything less than 70 combined points will be a disappointment.

The Skinny:
TB injuries: TE O.J. Howard (questionable, knee)
ATL injuries: RB Devonta Freeman (out, foot); WR Mohamed Sanu (questionable, hip)
TB DFS chalk: Winston (ATL 25th in QB rating against), DeSean Jackson (ATL 23rd in DVOA vs. WR2)
ATL DFS chalk: Matt Ryan (TB 32nd in QB rating against), Julio Jones (30 percent target share, 48 percent of team Air Yards, TB 26th in DVOA vs. WR1)
TB DFS tournament plays: Ronald Jones II (ATL 28th in YPC allowed), Chris Godwin (ATL 32nd in DVOA vs. WR3)
ATL DFS tournament plays: Tevin Coleman (TB 30th in passing game DVOA vs. RB), Calvin Ridley (TB 30th in DVOA vs. WR2), Austin Hooper (TB 30th in DVOA vs. TE)
Head-to-head record, last five years: 6-4 ATL, average score 31-24 ATL, average margin of victory 12 points.
Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Jones leads the Tampa backfield with 80 combined yards and his first NFL touchdown. Winston throws for 340 yards and three TDs, hitting Mike Evans, Jackson and Cameron Brate while Evans tops 100 yards. Coleman gains 70 combined yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving, while Ito Smith chips in 50 combined yards. Ryan throws for 380 yards and four scores, also finding Ridley, Hooper and, yes, I'm going to keep going back to the "Julio scores a TD" well until he finally does. Falcons, 41-31

Carolina (+1) at Washington, 44.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Gano's gonna Gano. Graham Gano's 63-yard buzzer-beater last week allowed the Panthers to keep pace with the Saints at the top of the NFC South, but it also helped overshadow Christian McCaffrey's continued emergence as a bell cow. The second-year back's gotten at least 16 touches and turned them into at least 93 scrimmage yards in every game so far, though his Week 5 receiving score was his first TD of the year. Whatever emotional letdown they might have after a dramatic win could also be counteracted by Greg Olson's potential return from a foot injury. A road matchup against a Washington defense that ranks sixth in rushing yards allowed and eighth in receiving yards surrendered to RBs isn't a great matchup for him, but CMac's volume should provide him with a steady floor at the very least. Washington's Jekyll-and-Hyde routine continued when the Saints marched all over them Monday – they're 2-2 and have yet to play in a game decided by less than 12 points. A rebound wouldn't be surprising, but neither would being on the wrong end of another rout given that they're on a short week and already lost to the Colts at home a couple of weeks ago. This just in from the Department of Things I Never Thought I'd Type: Jordan Reed is the healthiest skill player Alex Smith has available to him, as Adrian Peterson, Chris Thompson, all three top wide receivers and even Vernon Davis appeared on this week's injury report.

The Skinny:
CAR injuries: TE Olsen (questionable, foot)
WAS injuries: RB Peterson (questionable, shoulder/knee/ankle); RB Thompson (ribs/knee); WR Jamison Crowder (questionable, ankle); WR Paul Richardson (questionable, knee); WR Josh Doctson (questionable, heel)
CAR DFS chalk: none
WAS DFS chalk: Reed (CAR 27th in DVOA vs. TE)
CAR DFS tournament plays: Torrey Smith (10th in the league in average Air Yards per target, WAS 27th in DVOA against deep throws)
WAS DFS tournament plays: Thompson (CAR 27th in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 60s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: McCaffrey scampers for 80 combined yards and a score. Cam Newton throws for 250 yards and runs for 40 more, hitting Smith and Olsen for TDs. Peterson plays but Thompson leads the Washington backfield with 60 combined yards. Alex Smith throws for 230 yards and a touchdown to Reed but gets picked off twice, one of which Eric Reid returns for a very emotional touchdown in the nation's capital. Panthers, 31-16

Seattle vs. Oakland (+3) at London, 48.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Kudos to the league for knocking off those ridiculous early Sunday morning games from across the pond. This one starts at 6 p.m. London time, and features two teams pretty desperate for wins. The Seahawks are already three games back of the Rams, but that's still one game better than the hole the Raiders are in as they stare up forlornly at the Chiefs. At least Seattle has some injury excuses – most of Oakland's roster wounds are self-inflicted. Doug Baldwin was completely shut down last week, but as he gets closer to 100 percent health a breakout seems like only a matter of time. Amari Cooper's also due for a big game, at least if his 2018 pattern holds true, but the Seahawks' secondary has been surprisingly stingy for a unit that's supposed to be a pale shadow of the team's Legion of Boom glory days. With their toothless pass rush ill equipped to exploit Seattle's weak offensive line, Oakland's best chance for winning this one might come down to a Marshawn Lynch revenge game.

The Skinny:
SEA injuries: LB K.J. Wright (out, knee); TE Nick Vannett (questionable, back)
OAK injuries: RB Lynch (questionable, hip); S Karl Joseph (questionable, hamstring)
SEA DFS chalk: none
OAK DFS chalk: none
SEA DFS tournament plays: Russell Wilson (OAK 26th in QB rating against), Chris Carson (OAK 27th in YPC allowed)
OAK DFS tournament plays: Lynch (SEA 26th in YPC allowed), Jordy Nelson (SEA 22nd in DVOA vs. WR2)
Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the low 50s, 10 mph wind, 50-60 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Carson rips off 90 combined yards and a TD, while Mike Davis adds 60 yards. Wilson throws for 250 yards and touchdowns to Baldwin and David Moore, and he also runs in his first score of the year. Lynch gets held to 50 yards, but he does find the end zone. Derek Carr throws for 280 yards and a touchdown to Nelson but gets picked off twice. Seahawks, 28-17

Indianapolis (+2.5) at N.Y. Jets, 45.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: A battle of two teams that aren't quite there yet, the 1-4 Colts got predictably spanked by the Patriots last Thursday, while the 2-3 Jets are coming off a big win over the Broncos that included Sam Darnold putting up a line Joe Namath would have been proud of 50 years ago – three TDs on field-stretching throws to Robby Anderson and Terrelle Pryor, but a sub-50 percent completion rate. That performance highlighted the ways in which these two clubs are mirror images of each other, as Gang Green's rookie QB is no Andrew Luck, but he's also surrounded by better talent in almost every facet of the game.

The Skinny:
IND injuries: WR T.Y. Hilton (out, hamstring); TE Jack Doyle (out, hip); TE Eric Ebron (questionable, leg)
NYJ injuries: RB Isaiah Crowell (questionable, ankle); CB Trumaine Johnson (doubtful, quad); S Marcus Maye (questionable, ankle)
IND DFS chalk: none
NYJ DFS chalk: none
IND DFS tournament plays: none
NYJ DFS tournament plays: Quincy Enunwa (IND 25th in DVOA vs. WR1)
Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 60s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Marlon Mack leads the Colts backfield with 50 yards. Luck throws for 220 yards and a TD to Ebron. Crowell sits, and Bilal Powell churns out 90 combined yards and a touchdown. Darnold throws for 240 yards and scores to Enunwa and Jermaine Kearse. Jets 24-16

Arizona (+10.5) at Minnesota, 43.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Slowly, the Cards are starting to put together an NFL-caliber offense. After scoring only six points in their first two games, the switch to Josh Rosen has put some pep in their step, and the team actually scored more than league average for the first time all season in their win over the Niners. David Johnson is still struggling to consistently produce big yardage totals, but he's at least found the end zone five times in five games. Unfortunately, they now run into a Vikings defense that seemed to at least partially find its 2017 swagger in Week 5, putting some pressure on Carson Wentz before sagging in the fourth quarter and hanging on for the win. As for Minnesota's offense, it remains firmly in Kirk Cousins' $84 million hands with Dalvin Cook limping, and Patrick Peterson can't cover both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs at the same time.

The Skinny:
ARI injuries: DE Markus Golden (questionable, knee)
MIN injuries: RB Cook (questionable, hamstring); DE Everson Griffen (out, mental health)
ARI DFS chalk: Johnson (MIN 32nd in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
MIN DFS chalk: Thielen (29 percent target share, 42 percent share of team Air Yards, ARI 26th in DVOA against short throws), Kyle Rudolph (ARI 23rd in DVOA vs. TE)
ARI DFS tournament plays: Christian Kirk (MIN 29th in DVOA vs. WR2), Ricky Seals-Jones (MIN 31st in DVOA vs. TE), Rosen (MIN 30th in QB rating against)
MIN DFS tournament plays: Latavius Murray (ARI 31st in rushing yards allowed, T-31st in rushing TDs allowed, 25th in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Johnson piles up 110 combined yards and a score. Rosen throws for 240 yards – his first game over 200 – and TDs to Seals-Jones and Kirk. Murray starts and gains 80 combined yards and a touchdown. Cousins throws for 310 yards and TDs to Rudolph and Diggs, while Thielen extends his streak of games with at least 100 yards to an amazing six. Vikings, 30-24

Pittsburgh (+2.5) at Cincinnati, 53.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: While it's ridiculous to call any game "must win" in Week 6, if the Steelers lose this one, they'll be 2.5 games behind the Bengals in the AFC North, and Cincy doesn't seem headed for a long losing streak any time soon. In a sense, Pittsburgh is just playing out the string on a chaotic first half, and they need next week's bye as much to clear their heads as they get Le'Veon Bell back in the fold. The team's much-maligned defense showed up in a big way last week against the Falcons, though, and they actually lead the NFL in sacks with 19. As for their division rivals, maybe rewarding Marvin Lewis for his playoff futility wasn't such a bad idea after all. Andy Dalton is on pace for his first season with 30-plus TDs since 2013, and has more than just A.J. Green as a reliable option. The defense could also be on the upswing now that Vontaze Burfict has served out his annual suspension, though William Jackson III picked a bad time to be less than 100 percent healthy.

The Skinny:
PIT injuries: RB Bell (out, contract)
CIN injuries: RB Giovani Bernard (out, knee); WR John Ross (questionable, groin); CB Jackson (questionable, knee)
PIT DFS chalk: James Conner (CIN 24th in YPC allowed, 26th in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
CIN DFS chalk: none
PIT DFS tournament plays: none
CIN DFS tournament plays: Dalton (PIT T-31st in passing TDs allowed), C.J. Uzomah (PIT 25th in DVOA vs. TE)
Head-to-head record, last five years: 9-2 PIT including postseason, average score 25-18 PIT, average margin of victory nine points. PIT has won six straight meetings, including an 18-16 victory in the 2015 playoffs.
Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the low 50s, less than 10 mph wind, 60-80 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Conner bangs out 120 combined yards and a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger throws for 300 yards and TDs to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jaylen Samuels, while Antonio Brown tops 100 yards. Joe Mixon responds with 140 combined yards and a score. Dalton throws for 290 yards and touchdowns to Uzomah and Green, who also goes for more than 100 yards. Bengals ,27-24

L.A. Chargers at Cleveland (+1), 44.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: The Bolts have won two straight, so they're just about due for another inexplicably lazy loss that befuddles their backers, especially considering their only game so far outside the state of California came in Week 2 against Buffalo, which shouldn't even count. The offense is doing its thing, and the emergence of players like Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams has Philip Rivers on track for a career year. As for the Browns, it's been over a decade since they were even a .500 club, but here they are at 2-2-1. Baker Mayfield has been predictably inconsistent, but a 7.8 YPA through his first three NFL games is pretty darn good. The defense has been the big story, though. Cleveland sits second in the league in QB rating against, one of only three units with more INTs than TDs, and they're in the top 10 in sacks and third-down efficiency as well. The Browns are the only team to hold Drew Brees to less than 33 points so far, and that seems more indicative of their level of play than that weird overtime clunker in Oakland.

The Skinny:
LAC injuries: DE Joey Bosa (out, foot); K Caleb Sturgis (questionable, quad)
CLE injuries: WR Rashard Higgins (out, knee)
LAC DFS chalk: none
CLE DFS chalk: Jarvis Landry (29 percent target share, LAC 32nd in DVOA vs. WR1)
LAC DFS tournament plays: Ekeler (CLE 21st in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
CLE DFS tournament plays: none
Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 50s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Gordon gains 80 combined yards, but it's Ekeler who scores a receiving TD. Rivers throws for 240 yards and a second score to Keenan Allen. Carlos Hyde runs for 70 yards and a touchdown. Mayfield throws for 260 yards and two TDs, both to Landry. Browns, 24-17

Buffalo (+9.5) at Houston, 41.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: The Bills out-uglied the Titans last week, delivering another blow to their chances of scoring the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, but with no winless teams left in the league they can still put together a couple of months of futility and work their way back to the top (or I guess the bottom) of the heap. Josh Allen has been the athletically gifted but incredibly raw talent he looked like at Wyoming, and he's run for more touchdowns so far than he's thrown – although given the targets available to the rookie, can you blame him? The Texans seem to be back on track, winning two in a row after starting off the year with a three-game losing streak, and while J.J. Watt's return to form has been a big factor, it's really the introduction of Keke Coutee (apparently pronounced like a certain M.I.A. song with a killer Quincy Jones sample) to the offense that's sparked the turnaround. He's either hauled in 100-plus yards or scored in each of his games, and that's been one dangerous target too many for the opposition to handle. This should be a gimme for Houston, but if Deshaun Watson is more banged up that the team's letting on, they don't exactly have a reliable running game they can fall back on.

The Skinny:
BUF injuries: none
HOU injuries: QB Watson (questionable, chest)
BUF DFS chalk: none
HOU DFS chalk: Texans DST (BUF 32nd in sacks allowed, T-31st in INTs)
BUF DFS tournament plays: Charles Clay (HOU 32nd in DVOA vs. TE)
HOU DFS tournament plays: Coutee (BUF 25th in DVOA vs. WR3)
Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 80s, 11-12 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: LeSean McCoy manages 60 combined yards. Allen throws for less than 200 yards, gets sacked six times and picked off three times, but he does hit Clay for a score. Lamar Miller puts together 90 combined yards and a TD. Watson seems fine, running for 40 yards and throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns, two to DeAndre Hopkins and one to Coutee. Texans, 37-10

Chicago at Miami (+3), 41.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

The Story: Mitchell Trubisky is clearly a big believer in the old show business adage, "Leave them wanting more." After blowing up for six TD passes against the Bucs he coolly went on bye, making the world wait to discover whether that performance was a sign he's getting the hang of Matt Nagy's offense, or whether it was just the Tampa secondary playing its usual sandlot Cover-Zero formation. The Dolphins' defense ranks third in QB rating against and leads the NFL in picks, so even if the answer turns out to be the former, Trube's true level will probably be somewhat murky for a while longer yet. Good as its secondary has been, Miami's offense has started sputtering and has scored only 24 total points in losing two straight – not the kind of momentum you want when Khalil Mack and the boys have gotten an extra week to prepare for you. Kenyan Drake at least saw a big workload as a receiver against the Bengals, but he hasn't seen more than a half-dozen carries since Week 2, a baffling choice by Adam Gase when the only alternative the coach seems to trust is Grampa Frank Gore. No matter who gets the totes, they probably won't have much luck against a Bears defense that's allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the league and is now the only one not to have allowed a touchdown on the ground.

The Skinny:
CHI injuries: none
MIA injuries: QB Ryan Tannehill (quest, shoulder); WR DeVante Parker (questionable, quad); DE Cameron Wake (doubtful, knee)
CHI DFS chalk: none
MIA DFS chalk: none
CHI DFS tournament plays: Tarik Cohen (MIA 23rd in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
MIA DFS tournament plays: none
Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-80s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Jordan Howard hammers out 60 yards and a score, but Cohen supplies 80 combined yards and a receiving TD. Trubisky throws for 230 yards and gets intercepted twice. Gore leads the Dolphins backfield with only 40 yards. Tannehill gets knocked out of the game on Leonard Floyd's first sack of the season, and Brock Osweiler is picked off twice in relief. Bears, 20-6

L.A. Rams at Denver (+7), 52.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

The Story: Look, things in the NFL rarely go by the book. Just because the Broncos' front seven got carved up for 200 yards by Isaiah Crowell last week doesn't mean Todd Gurley will explode for 300 yards this week. Then again, can you really put it past him? The Rams' receiving corps is at full strength with Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp out of the concussion protocol, and Sean McVay does love to air it out. but Denver's run defense was struggling long before they ran into the Jets – 30th place-rankings in YPC and yards allowed per game don't happen overnight. The Broncos usually have a solid home-field advantage at altitude, but given Case Keenum's lackluster showing so far, it would probably take Los Angeles underperforming on both sides of the ball, or maybe a blizzard, for this one to stay within one score.

The Skinny:
LAR injuries: none
DEN injuries: none
LAR DFS chalk: Gurley (see above), Robert Woods (DEN 25th in DVOA vs. WR2)
DEN DFS chalk: none
LAR DFS tournament plays: Tyler Higbee (DEN 29th in DVOA vs. TE)
DEN DFS tournament plays: Phillip Lindsay (LAR 29th in YPC allowed), Courtland Sutton (LAR 27th in DVOA vs. WR3)
Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the mid-20s, less than 10 mph wind, 25-30 percent chance of light snow

The Scoop: Gurley racks up 160 combined yards and two TDs. Jared Goff throws for 340 yards and three scores to Woods, Kupp and Higbee, with Woods topping 100 yards. Lindsay dashes for 80 yards while Royce Freeman adds 50. Keenum throws for 270 yards and touchdowns to Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders. Rams, 38-17

Baltimore at Tennessee (+3), 41.0 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

The Story: The Joe Flacco we all know and love showed back up again last week, failing to throw a TD pass in a loss to the Browns, but his new-found willingness to attack downfield remained – he completed at least three passes of 20-plus yards for the fifth straight game, not bad for a guy who only had 28 of them in total all of last year. If there's been an issue for Baltimore this year, it's been team discipline – they're last the NFL in penalties and penalty yardage, an unexpected showing from a team that ranked third and second in those categories in 2017, and which hasn't finished outside the top 10 in getting flagged since 2014. The Titans' defense has been stingy, ranking eighth in QB rating against, but that could be as much a product of a schedule that's included tilts against Blake Bortles and Josh Allen as anything. Tennessee doesn't have much of anything else going for them, though, as Marcus Mariota has thrown for under 130 yards in three of his four games, and as a team they're one of only four offenses averaging under 200 passing yards a game, a scandalous figure in 2018. The Ravens, incidentally, are No. 1 in QB rating against, and that's without having both their starting corners healthy and in the lineup at the same time. Murphy's Law suggests Mariota will therefore go off for 300 yards in this one, but Jimmy Smith's Law says no way, no how.

The Skinny:
BAL injuries: CB Brandon Carr (questionable, knee)
TEN injuries: LB Wesley Woodyard (questionable, shoulder)
BAL DFS chalk: none
TEN DFS chalk: none
BAL DFS tournament plays: Michael Crabtree (TEN 28th in DVOA vs. WR1)
TEN DFS tournament plays: none
Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the low 70s, 10 mph wind, 25-35 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Alex Collins leads the Ravens backfield with 60 yards. Flacco throws for 240 yards and a TD to Crabtree. Derrick Henry hammers for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Dion Lewis adds 40 combined yards. Mariota throws for less than 200 yards again but does hit Tajae Sharpe for a score. Titans, 23-16

Jacksonville at Dallas (+3), 40.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT

The Story: I have to keep reminding myself that the Jaguars beat the Patriots rather handily, because both of those teams have gone in very different directions since. Jacksonville's defense remains top-notch – it prevented Patrick Mahomes from throwing a TD pass last week – but the offense has stagnated if not outright putrefied, as Leonard Fournette's ongoing hamstring issues and the loss of left tackle Cam Robinson have left the ground-and-pound gameplan a shambles. Blake Bortles responded to the increased responsibility by throwing four INTs against a Chiefs defense not exactly known as ball hawks, which pretty much explains why the responsibility to carry the offense was taken off his shoulders in the first place. The Cowboys at least still have their offensive identity intact, even if somebody should probably tell Jason Garrett what it is, but at some point Dak Prescott needs to put at least a little fear into opposition secondaries, or Ezekiel Elliott could start facing nine or 10 men in the box and not just eight. Expecting these two squads to combine for 40 points right now might be asking too much, Vegas.

The Skinny:
JAC injuries: RB Fournette (out, hamstring); CB Jalen Ramsey (questionable, knee); TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (IR, core muscle)
DAL injuries: DE DeMarcus Lawrence (questionable, shoulder); DE Randy Gregory (questionable, knee); LB Sean Lee (out, hamstring)
JAC DFS chalk: none
DAL DFS chalk: none
JAC DFS tournament plays: Dede Westbrook (DAL 31st in DVOA vs. WR3), T.J. Yeldon (DAL 22nd in passing game DVOA vs. RB), Jaguars DST (DAL 30th in PPG at 16.6)
DAL DFS tournament plays: none
Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 70s, less than 10 mph wind, 5-15 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Yeldon picks up 90 combined yards and a TD. Bortles throws for 230 yards and a touchdown to Westbrook, while Barry Church also scoops up a Michael Gallup fumble and returns it to the house. Elliott grinds out 70 yards and a score. Prescott throws for under 200 yards. Jaguars, 24-10

Kansas City (+3.5) at New England, 59.5 o/u – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

The Story: Now this is a prime-time matchup. The charismatic young gunslinger against the grizzled, steely-eyed killer. High-octane offensive razzle dazzle versus the relentless, clockwork "Do Your Job" dynasty. Andy Reid squaring off with Bill Belichick ... OK, maybe not so much that one. The Chiefs remain the AFC's only unbeaten squad, but Patrick Mahomes has slowed down the last two games and they needed their defense to step up in Week 5 to keep rolling, and they won't get an adrenaline boost from the crowd in Foxboro. Meanwhile, Tom Brady and crew are just getting warmed up. Julian Edelman's back, Josh Gordon caught his first TD pass as a Patriot, and the only thing that seems to be standing in the way of this offense being every bit as scary as Kansas City's is its health. The defense is still finding its way with long-time coordinator Matt Patricia now calling the shots in Detroit, though, and even if most of it did come in garbage time, allowing Andrew Luck and Colts to hang 24 points on you isn't exactly the mark of an elite unit.

The Skinny:
KC injuries: LB Justin Houston (doubtful, hamstring); S Eric Berry (doubtful, heel)
NE injuries: RB Sony Michel (questionable, knee); TE Rob Gronkowski (questionable, ankle); WR Gordon (questionable, hamstring); WR Chris Hogan (questionable, thigh)
KC DFS chalk: Tyreek Hill (NE 29th in DVOA vs. WR1)
NE DFS chalk: Michel (KC 32nd in YPC allowed)
KC DFS tournament plays: none
NE DFS tournament plays: James White (KC 28th in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-40s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Kareem Hunt piles up 90 combined yards and a TD. Mahomes throws for 350 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Hill (who tops 100 yards) twice and Travis Kelce once. Michel pops for 110 yards and a score, while White adds 80 combined yards and a receiving TD. Brady throws for 290 yards and two more touchdowns, finding Gronk and Edelman in a thriller. Patriots, 34-31

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants (+3), 44.0 o/u – Thursday, 8:20 p.m. EDT

The Story: On the bright side, the Eagles do have the best point differential in the NFC East ... at minus-1. It's been that kind of start to the season for the champs, who have been within a single score of their opponents in every game so far, win or lose, and every time the roster seems to get healthier, someone else breaks down. The latest casualty is Jay Ajayi, done for the year with an ACL tear, which leaves the backfield in the hands of Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood. Right tackle Lane Johnson was also a late add to the injury report with a high-ankle sprain, weakening one of the elite offensive lines in the league. As for the Giants, you can't say Odell Beckham Jr. doesn't walk the walk, throwing a 57-yard TD to Saquon Barkley last week after complaining the team doesn't stretch the field enough. They still lost a heartbreaker in Carolina, and while they'd love to stick it to their division rivals, allowing 33 points in back-to-back games doesn't bode well with Carson Wentz looking more like his 2017 self every week.

The Skinny:
PHI injuries: RB Ajayi (IR, knee); RB Darren Sproles (out, hamstring)
NYG injuries: TE Evan Engram (out, knee)
PHI DFS chalk: Alshon Jeffery (NYG 27th in DVOA vs. WR1)
NYG DFS chalk: none
PHI DFS tournament plays: Clement (NYG 25th in YPC allowed)
NYG DFS tournament plays: Sterling Shepard (PHI 31st in DVOA vs. WR2)
Head-to-head record, last five years: 8-2 PHI, average score 27-18 PHI, average margin of victory 10 points. The last five games have all been decided by five points or less.
Weather forecast: overcast, temperature in the low 70s, less than 10 mph wind, 60-70 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Clement picks up 80 combined yards and a score, while Smallwood adds 60 combined yards. Wentz throws for 280 yards and a TD to Jordan Matthews. Barkley gets held relatively in check, managing 90 combined yards and a touchdown. Eli Manning throws for 250 yards and a TD to Shepard, but a Derek Barnett strip sack results in a Michael Bennett touchdown that proves to be the difference. Eagles, 24-23

Last week's record: 13-2, 10-4-1 ATS, 7-8 o/u
2018 regular-season record: 50-26-2, 36-36-6 ATS, 34-44 o/u
2017 regular-season record: 164-92, 111-131-14 ATS, 114-138-4 o/u
2016 regular-season record: 155-99-2, 110-136-10 ATS, 139-112-5 o/u
2015 regular-season record: 157-99, 137-111-8 ATS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erik Siegrist
Erik Siegrist is an FSWA award-winning columnist who covers all four major North American sports (that means the NHL, not NASCAR) and whose beat extends back to the days when the Nationals were the Expos and the Thunder were the Sonics. He was the inaugural champion of Rotowire's Staff Keeper baseball league. His work has also appeared at Baseball Prospectus.
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